Chowder
Charles (or Chowder) is DJ Walters' best friend and the deuteragonist of Monster House. Personality Chowder is known to be comical, goofy, and somewhat immature, which can annoy DJ and other people, such as Jenny. Chowder appears to enjoy trick-or-treating, which DJ feels he is too old for. In addition, Chowder has a very good sense of right and wrong; this is shown when he expresses unwillingness to take drugs from his dad, or go inside a monster. However, he does so anyway, out of willingness to help DJ. He is also shown to be resourceful, as he is able to use an excavator efficiently to battle Nebbercracker's house at the climax of the film. Despite his occasional courageous side, Chowder is a little cowardly now and then. Role in the film As DJ's parents are going out of town and returning Halloween night, Chowder accidentally runs into the back of the car, wearing a Halloween mask. He shows DJ that he just bought a new basketball, and asks about his plans for Halloween. While throwing his ball, Chowder inadvertently hits himself in the face. His ball ends up on Horace Nebbercracker's lawn. Chowder asks DJ to retrieve it; he responds that once something lands on Nebbercracker's lawn, it's gone. Chowder begins to tear up and muses that he paid $28 for the basketball, having to rake 10 yards and ask his mom for money several times. DJ reluctantly agrees to get the ball. Unfortunately, he is caught by Nebbercracker, who seemingly suffers a heart attack and dies while confronting DJ. Later that evening, DJ, believing strange things are going on at Nebbercracker's house since his supposed death, calls Chowder as he is playing a video game at his house, and asks him to meet up at the Danger Zone, which is a construction site built on an empty lake. DJ explains that he feels Nebbercracker is back from the dead, and the two boys go to investigate the house. Chowder goes up to the house, against DJ's protests, and rings the doorbell, causing the house to awaken, revealing it to be a monster. The house almost catches Chowder, but he narrowly escapes, and he and DJ flee back to DJ's house where they spend the night watching the house. The next morning, Halloween, Chowder glimpses a red-haired girl, Jenny Bennett, selling chocolates. Impressed by her beauty, he murmurs "Hello.", getting DJ's attention, leading him to take a look at her, becoming lovestruck as well. They continue watching her, until they notice she's heading straight towards Nebbercracker's house. They both exchange a worried “Oh, no.” and run out to warn her. Unfortunately, the house awakens and almost eats her, but DJ and Chowder intervene, and Zee steps outside to tell Chowder that his dad is on the phone looking for him, causing the house to go dormant again. Sharing an awkward introduction with Jenny, Chowder states that he got into Westbrook Prep, but decided not to go; Jenny tells him it's a school for girls, leading Chowder to state that’s why he didn’t get in, and adds that there's a great taco stand near there. Jenny tells him she hates Mexican food, to which DJ and Chowder both say that they do, too, leading to an argument between them about the subject while Jenny calls her mom about what happened, but is not believed. Chowder states that authority can be unreliable while making armpit sounds, which Jenny doesn’t find amusing. Immediately afterwards, the three watch the house eat a dog and realize the house only moves when its unsuspecting prey gets close and decide to call the police. Jenny and DJ express their fears about numerous kids going up to Nebbercracker's house that evening. Chowder tries to assuage their fears by saying "Only a total moron would walk up to Old Man Nebbercracker's house." The house then produces Chowder's basketball to try and trick him into coming closer; he almost falls for it, but DJ and Jenny, knowing it's a trap, stop him. One of the boards that make up the stairs dribbles the ball, putting a jack-o-lantern depiction on it, invoking concern in Chowder as well. When the cops don't believe them either, Chowder, DJ, and Jenny go to Reginald "Skull" Skullinski for answers. He explains that he has heard about human souls and spirits possessing and merging with man-made structures, turning them into monsters, and that to kill the possessed house, they have to strike at the heart. Realizing the furnace is the heart, they concoct a plan to make a dummy filled cold medicine to feed to the house; Chowder shows reluctance, because he doesn't want to steal drugs from his father, but when Jenny says that it's worth a shot, he agrees to do it. However, their plan is foiled by police officers Landers and Lister, who arrest them when they find that they stole the cold medicine. The house tricks the officers into coming closer and eats them both, along with their car. Trapped inside the house, the trio discover some of Nebbercracker's early life, from his army days, and his marriage to Constance, whose cement-coated remains they find in the basement, along with the toys Nebbercracker confiscated. The house attacks them once it finds out they are inside; Chowder is lured into a trap by his ball and ensnared by several bed springs, while Jenny is sucked up into a pipe. The three escape by attacking the house's uvula, which Chowder earlier mistook for the heart, causing it to puke them out. Chowder argues with DJ about their failed plan, and how they nearly died in the house. At that moment, Nebbercracker returns home by ambulance, revealing that he's still alive, and that it was actually Constance's spirit that was controlling the house. Chowder and Jenny urge to DJ not to go near the house again, but DJ tells Nebbercracker that he knows about his past anyway, leading him to explain everything. While being chased by the enraged house after DJ persuades Nebbercracker to let Constance go for the better, Chowder attempts to slow the house down, before being rushed to safety by Nebbercracker. When Constance attempts to attack Nebbercracker, Chowder pilots an excavator and attacks the house to save him. The battle between Chowder and Constance causes DJ and Jenny to fall into the lake, and seconds later, the two of them, as well, causing the house to fall apart. For a few seconds, it seems as though they won. But, their victory is short-lived, as Constance rebuilds the house in a more terrifying form. As DJ and Jenny climb to the top of a crane so they can throw a stick of dynamite down the chimney, Chowder resumes fighting the house. Unfortunately, the house gains the upper hand and eats the excavator before directing its attention towards Chowder again. The house ultimately grabs Chowder by the cape, forcing him to untie it. Once DJ throws the lit dynamite down the chimney, Chowder desperately runs as fast as he can to get away from the house, though DJ swings down and pulls him to safety, and the two boys take cover in a ditch to avoid the explosion, while Jenny remains atop the crane. After the battle, Chowder, Jenny, and DJ help Nebbercracker return all the toys back to the neighborhood kids. Jenny says goodbye to her new friends, with the hope of seeing them again soon, and goes home with her mom. Bidding farewell to Nebbercracker, DJ and Chowder meet up with DJ's parents, who have just returned home. While playing basketball, Chowder agrees with DJ that they are beyond the trick-or-treating age. Although, considering they've been working all night, they decide to do it, just for old times sake. Relationships DJ Walters DJ and Chowder have been best friends all their lives. However, DJ can get a little annoyed by Chowder's immature and childish nature. They sometimes argue, but that doesn't hurt their friendship. Jenny Bennett Chowder falls in love with Jenny when he first glimpses her through the telescope. However, she isn't too fond of him or DJ in the beginning. Despite Jenny preferring DJ over him in the end, Chowder doesn't show any signs of jealousy and remains good friends with her. Trivia * Chowder is seemingly based off of Ron Weasley from the ''Harry Potter ''franchise: Both love sweets, both have a sense of humor, and act immature now and then. Unlike Ron, though, Chowder is a little more gentleman-like; an example is when he introduces himself to Jenny as Charles. 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